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A team of bicyclists participating in the Journey of Hope cross-country ride stopped in Vandalia on Tuesday.
Push America’s Journey of Hope, a 4,000-mile bike ride from Seattle to Washington, D.C, that raises money for organizations that help people with disabilities, made a stop at FAYCO Enterprises on Tuesday afternoon and stayed overnight at the Fayette County Family YMCA.
The trip began in Seattle on May 29, and the riders should arrive in Washington on Aug. 5 to conclude the 25th annual Journey of Hope ride.

Vandalia’s Sr. Legion squad got pretty familiar with Salem and Effingham over the summer.
Playing Effingham five times and Salem six times during the season created quite the rivalry with both teams – and both of them came back up during the district tournament.
Vandalia played each team twice in the tournament, beating Salem twice and losing to Effingham twice. The widest winning margin in any tournament game was four runs.

TEUTOPOLIS – Vandalia lost, but Jr. Legion coach TK Kinkead was still very proud of his players after they battled Effingham in the district tournament on Saturday.
Facing elimination, Post 95 held a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning, but an error allowed two Effingham runners to score to give Post 120 a 3-2 victory.
“Everyone had the game of their life today,” Kinkead said. “Effingham creamed us last time, so to see us put up a fight and do what we did, that’s the best part.”

Kickball tournament coming to St. Elmo
The St. Elmo Tourism Committee is hosting its first annual kickball tournament in Deken Park on Aug. 4. at 10 a.m.
Teams of 8-12 players comprised of kids and/or adults may register at St. Elmo City Hall by Aug. 1. The entry fee is $50 per team.
Complete rules are available at city hall and questions can be directed to either 829-3319 or 704-9250.
KC holding open tennis tryouts

After posting a walk-off win against Salem on Sunday night, the Vandalia Sr. Legion squad will battle Effingham for the district championship on Monday.
To win the title, Vandalia will have to win both the 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. games against Effingham in the double-elimination tournament. Effingham handed Vandalia its first tournament loss on Sunday afternoon in an 8-5 game.
This season, Vandalia is 2-2 against Effingham.
Post 95's tournament summary follows.
Game 1 — Vandalia defeated Salem, 9-6, in the first round.

TEUTOPOLIS - In a game that was three times delayed by rain and lightning on Thursday night, Vandalia's Jr. Legion team was never able to find a groove in a 13-5 loss to Teutopolis at the district tournament. With the loss, Post 95 will now play the loser of Effingham/South Central on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Teutopolis High School.

Waking up on the first day of team competition at the World Youth Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, the first thing that Jessica Earnest encountered was a plastic remote control holder – digging into her toe.
Not realizing her toe was bleeding after stepping on it, the squeamish Vandalia native surprised even herself by not passing out when she turned over her foot to check out the damage.

After a promising start in the first two days of the Mattoon Firecracker Classic left the Vandalia Sr. Legion squad with a 3-0 record, Post 95 had a tough time last Friday, falling to Lincoln, 5-2, and Shelby County, 7-3, to miss out on the championship round.
After the tournament, Vandalia’s record stood at 12-8.
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CHARLESTON – All that was needed to win the game was a flyball to the outfield or a simple base hit.
But Mitch Wolff wasn’t taking any chances.